[Article] Landlady denies keeping tenants under electronic surveillance

Victor

Interesting case of the paranoid or the outrageous.

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/4676608?view=Eircomnet

Landlady denies keeping tenants under electronic surveillance
From:ireland.com
Saturday, 18th December, 2004

A Dublin landlady has denied using electronic devices to spy on a Co Mayo student and her fellow tenants.

Ms Rita McKenna told the Circuit Civil Court yesterday she never had any electronic surveillance equipment in a nine-room apartments annex to her house at Mobhi Road, Glasnevin, Dublin.

Ms McKenna is being sued by Ms Patricia Hegarty, Farragh, Killala, Co Mayo, for €38,000 damages for alleged breach of quiet enjoyment of her flat.

Ms Hegarty is seeking an injunction restraining Ms McKenna from disseminating any materials obtained by her of a visual or audio nature of herself, her image or voice and a declaration that Ms Hegarty is the copyright owner of any such material.

Judge Alison Lindsay yesterday adjourned an application to attach and commit Ms McKenna to prison for allegedly attempting to frustrate a court order made last week directing Ms McKenna to permit Ms Hegarty, her solicitor, an engineer and members of the gardaí access to her premises for the purpose of searching for suspected hidden devices.

Mr Conor Bowman, counsel for Ms Hegarty, had told the court the group had been kept outside the flats for a time, during which the power had been cut off and people could be seen moving with torches from room to room.

Ms Hegarty has claimed holes had been drilled in walls and she believed she had been kept under surveillance prior to having been evicted.

Mr Hugh O'Keeffe, counsel for Ms McKenna, said his client had already given the court a sworn undertaking not to remove anything from the premises prior to a joint inspection by representatives of both parties.

He said Ms McKenna had stated in an affidavit there had never been any basis for the claim there had been audio-visual equipment in the house. She said the holes referred to were part of an old gas vent. A fuse had blown while Ms Hegarty's group was at the door awaiting access.

Judge Lindsay directed engineers for both parties to carry out a joint inspection of the premises and report back to the court. She adjourned the application seeking to imprison Ms McKenna for contempt of court.